90th Light Infantry

Dated 1st July 1818, during the period when servicemen were not recognised for their penmanship, I consider this example as really special.

East Wall of the Ropery

After a little searching through the internet I discovered that: -
Chatham was the station of the 90th LI until December of 1818 when they moved on to Brighton.
(Information supplied by Kevin Asplin)

Information Galore

Happy Hunting on this wall!

On the frontage of the Paint and Lead Rolling Mill there are numerous examples of graffiti which have survived well considering the hardness of the brick. Compared with the Ropery, the brick used in the building of the P & LRM does not take a 'deep marking' in the same way. But the clarity of the words seem very clear.

HMS Warspite (twice)

[note Warspite's addition "commissioned 26th March 1899]

HMS Rodney

HMS Bacchante

(Names to conjure with)

I am going back to look more closely at this section of wall as there is so much more I have missed.

Paint and Lead Rolling Mill

This building has some interesting additions to the front. For example the mention of 'HMS Goliath' with the names of Captains Wintz and Henderson.

I am now trying to get some information connected with this vessel which was, I believe, sunk by a Turkish Motor Torpedo Boat in, or near, the Dardanelles, on 13th May 1915. She sank losing 570 men.

HMS Goliath was a Chatham built ship, completed in 1900 and Captain Lewis Edmund Wintz commanded Goliath in a minor part of the "Boxer Riots".

Ropery South

FEBRUARY 1788

Whoever put this one on the wall nearly 220 years ago made a very good job of the lettering. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any other information of who he was or where he was going! However, if you look closely at the brick-course underneath, (click on the image to enlarge it) you will see a stylised laurel wreath encircling "66 GB", once again, nicely executed. I suspect that this refers to the 66th Regiment of Foot (Gloucester and Berkshire) and am waiting for some form of confirmation or otherwise from Salisbury.

I managed to find this in the Regimental Timeline at the suggestion of the curator. (Many Thanks!)

On 21 May 1821, St Helena. Regiment (Headquarters plus two companies and regimental band) embarked on 'Camel'. On 24 May the rest of the Regiment began to embark for the voyage home. The 'Camel' reached Spithead on 31 July, the rest of regiment arriving shortly after. The 'Camel' continued to Chatham on 13 August, where the Regiment disembarked, the last detachment disembarking on 20 August.
On 22 Sept 1821, England, Hull. Regiment marched from Chatham on 20 March and reached Hull on 22 September and detached one company to Scarborough.

Architectural Graffiti in Chatham Historic Dockyard.

This example can be found on the southern end of the Ropery, which is the end nearest to Chatham town centre.

It begins with an obliterated 84, which indicates the presence of the 84th Regiment of Foot within Chatham Dockyard at around 1834. S.PLANT was kind enough to supply the date as well as the name of the regiment which was the York & Lancaster Regiment.

NIVE

INDIA

PENINSULA

The names above represent three of the Regiment's Battle Honours.